[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1246 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1246

 To require the Secretary of Education to revise regulations regarding 
 student loan repayment deferment with respect to borrowers who are in 
  postgraduate medical or dental internship, residency, or fellowship 
                               programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2005

   Mr. Dodd (for himself, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Kerry, and Mr. Feingold) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Education to revise regulations regarding 
 student loan repayment deferment with respect to borrowers who are in 
  postgraduate medical or dental internship, residency, or fellowship 
                               programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medical Education Affordability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REGULATION REVISION REQUIRED.

    (a) Action Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall revise the 
regulations of the Department of Education that are promulgated to 
carry out the provisions relating to student loan repayment deferment 
under the Federal Family Education Loan Program under part B of title 
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.), the 
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program under part D of title IV of 
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.), and the Federal Perkins Loan 
Program under part E of title IV of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087aa et 
seq.), which are promulgated under sections 682.210, 685.204, and 
674.34 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, to comply with the 
requirements of subsection (b).
    (b) Requirements.--The student loan repayment deferment regulations 
shall be revised to provide, with respect to a borrower who is in a 
postgraduate medical or dental internship, residency, or fellowship 
program, that if the borrower qualifies for student loan repayment 
deferment under the economic hardship provision--
            (1) the deferment shall be available for the length of the 
        internship, residency, or fellowship program if the program--
                    (A) must be successfully completed by the borrower 
                before the borrower may begin professional practice or 
                service; or
                    (B) leads to a degree or certificate awarded by a 
                health professional school, hospital, or health care 
                facility that offers postgraduate training; and
            (2) the borrower shall not be required to apply annually 
        for such student loan repayment deferment during the length of 
        the program.
                                 <all>